Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relates to medical apparatus and methods. More particularly, embodiments of the present invent relate to systems and methods for allowing paralyzed and incontinent patients to selectively control urinary function with real-time information regarding bladder fullness.
Many disorders can result in loss of a patient's ability to voluntarily control bladder function. Most commonly, patients suffering from spinal cord injuries can lose not only the ability to voluntarily control urination, but also the ability to sense when the bladder is full. Such patients have usually had to rely on the chronic use of a Foley catheter which is placed through the urethra and has a distal tip residing in the bladder. Such Foley catheters present a constant risk of infection which is exacerbated by the frequent need to exchange for a new catheter. Moreover, Foley catheters usually drain into a bag which the patient must carry when away from home or a treatment facility. The need to carry the drain bag is a significant burden to many patients.
To at least partially overcome these problems, very promising new systems have been proposed which allow patients and their caregivers to selectively stimulate the pudenal nerves to control voiding of the bladder. Such systems can eliminate the need for Foley catheters and are described, for example, in US 2014/0249595, the full disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
While a significant advance, such pudenal nerve stimulation systems do not alert the patient when the bladder is filled. Since many patients will have lost the ability to sense when the bladder is full, these patients may prolong periods between voiding, raising the pressure in the bladder above safe levels and risking injury to the kidneys.
For these reasons, it would be desirable to provide improved systems and methods for controlling urination via stimulation of the pudenal nerves. It would be particularly desirable if such systems and methods could provide feedback to a patient or caregiver regarding fullness of the patient's bladder. Even more particularly, it would be desirable if such feedback were provided in real time, frequently or continuously, and could provide alerts or alarms when certain pressure levels are approached, reached, or exceeded.
Description of the Background Art
US 2014/0249595, has been described above.